Monday, January 27, 2014

While I was here I had some work done on the trailer.  Had that air valve that was sticking replaced.

Also had a chronic problem fixed hopefully for the last time.  There was a problem with the welds breaking in the back corners of the trailer.  They have been re-welded multiple times.  This time heavy angle iron was welded there to strengthen the area.  That should do the trick!!  Also had six "D" rings added, two toward the front of the trailer (not shown), and four in the back.  They will help a lot!!

I got a load for tomorrow up in Calhoun, GA.  That is north of Atlanta.  After lunch I left for Calhoun.  Had a very nice day on the road until the Macon bypass.  I was cruising along in the right lane (of three lanes) and passing another semi truck that was in the middle lane.  All of a sudden I felt something pulling on the truck.  I though I had a mechanical problem.  Then I looked in the mirror and saw that the truck I was passing had changed lanes right into the side of my trailer.  When we separated we both pulled to the shoulder of the road.  He said that he bent down to pick up a bottle of water and the next thing he knew, he was in the side of my trailer.  That black cloud that has been following me just won't go away!!  Here is what he did to my trailer.  Yes, that is a piece of his truck on my trailer.

I have a very good trailer!!!!

Now here is what he did to his truck.

I took a zillion photos and called the cops.  Macon showed up.

Took our information, filled out an accident report and I was on my way.  Finished my trip up to Calhoun, GA and stopped for the night at a Wilco/Hess truck stop there.  Load a few miles from here in the mornnig

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

First thing this morning went over and delivered the chiller.  Was back home by 9 am.  Will be here for a few days.  

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Got a late start this morning.  Had to wait for my Alabama permit.  The permit office was closed yesterday for the "Holiday". It finally arrived and off I went.  Drove all the way home.  Just before I got there ran into a huge thunderstorm.  Nickle size hail and blinding downpour.  Fortunately it didn't last long and no damage to my truck or the load. I'll deliver first thing tomorrow morning.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Left early this morning to get in front of the San Antonio curfew.  When I got to Houston I was about an hour early so I waited at a closed weigh station.  While I was waiting I took a couple photos.

At 9 am, local time, when the Houston curfew was over I hit the road again.  Had a very good day on the road.  Even made it through Louisiana without any problems.  Stopped for the night at the TA Truck Stop in Grand Bay, Alabama.  

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Went over to load first thing this morning but it wasn't ready.  Said it would be ready sometime this afternoon. They took my phone number and said they would call me.  I went back to the truck stop to wait. This afternoon I got the truck and trailer washed.  Needed it real bad!!

And hand dried too!!

While I was getting the truck washed they called and said the load was ready. So I went to load right after that.  Loaded a Chiller that is going to Jacksonville, Florida, about two miles from home!!.

By the time I finished getting loaded and the thing secured to the trailer it was a little too late to go anywhere.  I went back to the Petro truck stop for the rest of the weekend.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Got started just before sunrise and drove the rest of the way in to Houston and delivered the thing.  My next load is over in San Antonio, TX.  Hit the road and drove to the Petro truck stop in San Antoino, TX. for the night.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

A very good day on the road.  Good weather too.  When we got to Texas our second escort car dropped off.  Only need one in Texas.  Stopped for the night at a very small place (but it had great food!!) in Longview, Texas. 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Got started this morning right at sunrise in the snow.  It snowed pretty heavy for about an hour or so.  When we got to Kentucky out third escort dropped off and we continued on. Every time we got to a city it snowed.  Wierd!  Stopped for the night at the North 40 Truck Stop in Holladay, Tennessee.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Went a few miles from the truck stop in Baltimore and loaded a crane lower unit.  Basically what it is, is a section of a tower crane.  The section I have is the second one from the bottom or base of the crane.  It is not especially heavy but it is a bit wide, 15 feet, 1 inch.  It is also heavier on one side so it has to sit on the trailer with more hanging over on one side than the other.   There are a bunch of these going to Houston, Texas.

 My pilot cars arrived right on time and once I finished securing the thing we took off. I will have two all the way to Houston.  In West Virginia, they require three.

When we got to the West Virginia line our third pilot car was waiting for us.

We all stopped for the night at the truck stop in Jane Lew, West Virginia.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Nothing special, drove the rest of the way in to Baltimore.  Load tomorrow morning.

Friday, January 10, 2014

The weather timed it perfectly!!  As I was waiting for the Port to open this morning the freezing rain and sleet started.  Once I got in and starting to load the trailer was covered in wet ice.  Loaded another Caterpillar 324EL Excavator that is also going to Murrysville, PA.  Nothing like loading a large excavator in the freezing rain on a wet ice covered trailer.  Gross weight is just under 102,000 pounds.

By the time I finished the temperature had risen enough for it to be just rain.  Of course I was soaked through to the skin. Drove over to Murrysville, PA and delivered it.  Of course it rained all the way and was still raining when I unloaded. Next load is back in Baltimore again.  It is going to be an interesting one.  Probably won't load until Tuesday.  The only hint I'll give is that I have my West Virginia permit already and it says that I have to have three escorts. 

Thursday, January 9, 2014

My Maryland permit didn't arrive until after 10 this morning so I couldn't leave till then.  Finally got on the road and drove over to Murrysville, PA, that's north of Pittsburgh, and delivered the excavator.  Turned around and drove back to the TA truck stop in Baltimore for the night.  I load another one at the Port in the morning.  Ice storm supposed to be here tomorrow morning too. May not be going anywhere.

Wednesday, Janbuary 8, 2014

They weren't as quick to unload as I had hoped.  But still got the thing off and I headed up to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD for my next load.  Loaded a Caterpillar 324EL Excavator that is taking a short ride over to Murrysville, PA.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get out of the port fast enough to beat the Baltimore curfew so I had to stop at the TA truck stop in Baltimore, MD for the night.  Can sleep in tomorrow, can't leave until 9 am.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

My escort arrived right on time this morning with a fresh, hot cup of coffee for me.  He did GOOD!!  Off we went right at sunrise.

Stopped at a rest area because my trailer lights quit working.  Fixed that problem but found another.  Had an air leak from what looks like a pop off valve.  Wasn't causing a problem as my compressor could keep up with it.

Continued on up to the Petro truck stop in Kenly, NC to get it fixed.  I checked it again and somehow it fixed itself.  Must have hit a bump or something.  Whatever happened, it worked.  We continued on.  Had to wait at the bridge over the river on I-295 (Richmond By-pass) for the State Police.  Had to shut down the interstate so that when I went over the bridge there were no other vehicles on it with me.  That didn't sit very well with all those that had to wait for me to cross the bridge.  Oh well.

Unbelievably we made it all the way up to I-495 almost to I-66 before we hit bumper to bumper traffic.  Fortunately there wasn't much of it. That too, is amazing!!  Picked up my front escort along I-66, now I have two.  Went the rest of the way in to Chantilly, VA to where I am delivering tomorrow morning.  They showed me where to park for the night.  Got stuff ready for the morning so I can (hopefully) get out of here quick.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Went into downtown Jacksonville this morning and loaded a Caterpillar generator that is inside an enclosure. As usual, as soon as we started to load it started to rain.  It stopped when I finished securing it to the trailer.  It is going up to Chantilly, Virginia.

Because I am 12 feet, 6 inches wide (I'm also 14 feet high) I have to have an escort in Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia.  My Florida escort arrived and off we went.  At Georgia he dropped off and I continued on.  Stopped for the night at the North Carolina Welcome Center Rest Area on I-95.  My next escort will meet me here at sunrise tomorrow morning.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Spent the holidays with family and friends.  Had a great time.  But now its back to work.

Swapped into a step deck trailer this morning and went over to the Port of Jacksonville.  Loaded 10 crates of various parts to a crane.  

Quick trip.  Took them up to the port of Savannah, Georgia.  Delivered them and returned back to the Daily yard in Jacksonville for the weekend.  Next load is Monday in Jacksonville.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Left Hagerstown just after sunrise and drove in to the Port of Baltimore and delivered the wheel loader in the pouring rain.  As I was putting the trailer back together I saw that I had a flat tire on the trailer.  

Left there and went to the Baltimore TA to get a new tire.  There were 5 trucks ahead of me.  I didn't wait.  Left there and headed south.  Got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic south of Washington DC.  Took an hour and a half to go 40 miles.  Stopped at the TA in Ashland, VA to get fuel.  Their shop was empty so I had the tire replaced there.  

Inside the tire.  You can see the slice in the tire.  The culprit is that piece of metal laying there.

Finally got that done and got back on the road.  It rained almost all day.  Stopped raining just before I stopped for the night at a rest area on I-95 in Shiloh, SC.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Left New Paris, Ohio this morning just before sunrise.  Pretty dull day.  Drove to the Pilot truck stop in Hagerstown, Maryland.  Will be here for the weekend.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

This morning went the rest of the way to Davenport, Iowa and loaded a John Deere 2606 Wheel Loader that is going to the Port of Baltimore.  From there it is going on a boat bound for the U.K.

Drove to the Petro truck stop in New Paris, Ohio for the night,

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Hit the road a little before sunrise.  Drove to a rather large coal mine just outside Evansville, Indiana.  Went way back in off the main road.  Of course it was all mud, and lots of it!!  Here is what I followed in.  Made my truck look like a Matchbox car.

Got the thing off my truck and got out of there.  Here is what my truck looked like after all that mud.

I went straight to a truck wash.

Next load is way up in Davenport, Iowa.  Headed that way.  Ran out of hours so I had to stop for the night at a Pilot truck stop in Woodhull, Illinois.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Woke up in the middle of the night and took a look outside to see if it had started snowing yet.  Nope.  But I just happened to see five deer paying me a visit.  If you look close in the photo you can see two of them.

When I woke up the next morning the snow had started.  We had about two or three inches already and it was coming down hard.  Here was my view.

I decided that I was not going to wait and left immediately.  The roads were not too bad.  The plows were out in force and doing a very good job keeping up with the snow.

Once I got out of Maryland and down to lower elevations the snow changed to rain.  The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.  Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Grayson, Kentucky.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Left the truck stop after sunrise this morning and drove in to the Port of Baltimore and delivered the "box".  Next load was way back in Kitzmiller, Maryland. That is in the furthest west county in Maryland and the town is at the southern most point in the county. Where I loaded was at a coal mine about 45 minutes to an hours drive south of I-68 on back roads. Then about a half mile to a mile back on a snow/ice covered dirt road in the woods.  Loaded a Hitachi EX 2500 Engine Room.  It is going to another mine in Evansville, Indiana.  I'll have photos tomorrow.  By the time I finished tonight it was dark and it had started to snow.  Stayed there for the night.  Weather forecast is for 2 to 4 inches of snow tonight.  I may be here for a few days.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

The snow didn't start until around 5 am.  This is what it looked like at 9 am.

It continued to snow all day.  Here is what it looked like at about 4 pm.

By 6 pm it had changed to freezing rain.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Left Brazil, IN just before sunrise this morning.  Very good day on the road again.  Just a little bit of construction bumper to bumper going around Columbus, Ohio.  Other than that, no problems.  Had to stop for the weekend at a small truck stop in Hancock, Maryland because I ran out of daylight again.  

The weather is supposed to get real bad starting tonight.  National Weather Service is saying that we should get 4 to 8 inches of snow starting tonight around midnight.  By tomorrow evening it is supposed to change to sleet and then freezing rain.  Here we go again!!  Stay tuned, I'll have more snow photos tomorrow.  I'm supposed to deliver Monday morning.  Hope the roads are clear by then.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Left Vinita, OK just before sunrise this morning.  Nice day on the road.  Drove to the Petro truck stop in Brazil, Indiana for the night.  Had to stop, ran out of daylight.